The Sound of Change
by crossbearer1413
Summary: A small change can have incredible consequences. Mizuki's fuma shuriken kills Iruka. Fearing execution, Naruto runs away with the scroll of seals, and is quickly recruited by Orochimaru. Because Hiruzen protected the "traitor" Jinchuriki , he is dismissed and Danzo becomes Hokage. Epic Length, rated T for violence and some language, multiple pairings.


CHAPTER 1: AND HE RAN

Naruto stared, eyes wide and jaw quivering, at the two corpses in front of him. One, his beloved sensei, killed by the giant shuriken still protruding from his back. The other, his murderer. The traitor who Naruto had beaten to death himself. He hadn't meant to go that far. He hadn't wanted to do it, he really hadn't! But every time he thought about stopping, any time any of the hundreds of Naruto's thought for a second about stopping the assault, Iruka's face filled his mind, anger and despair filled his heart, and a bitter chakra filled his fists. Mizuki had died long before Naruto stopped.

Naruto slowly crouched down and put his head in his arms, getting even more blood on his face and hair. He hadn't meant to do it. He hadn't wanted to kill him. Sure he had been mad at him for killing Iruka, but he hadn't wanted to murder him! He hadn't meant to do that! He hadn't! He hadn't!

He had.

Naruto screamed as the tears flooded down his face, dripping from his chin to his elbows and then to the ground beneath. He had known exactly what he was doing. He had wanted the traitor dead, he had wanted to kill him, he had wanted to punch him, stomp on him, bite him, pull his hair, hurt him any way he could until his evil lying mouth was shut forever. And he had done exactly that. He had enjoyed it too. He was a monster, just like the villagers said.

He screamed again, and kept screaming as tears dripped from his chin and snot from his nose. It was pitiful. It was disgusting. It was him.

He had to run away. The people of Konoha already hated him, and if they found him with the scroll, the _stolen_ scroll of seals, and two dead chunin, they would call him a traitor. They would execute him. Not even the Hokage would be able to save him this time. He would probably even give the order himself. After all, if he had lied about the Kyubi, what else had he lied about? No, the Hokage could not be trusted. No one could be trusted.

Still panicking, Naruto jumped to his feet and started running as fast as he could.

 _ **"Wasteful."**_

Naruto stopped so suddenly that he tripped and nearly broke his nose on the dirt. Hearing a voice in your head would do that to a guy. "W-who... who said that!?" He yelled as he got to his feet, still rubbing his nose with one hand, and making a fist with the other. It was a rhetorical question of course. Now that he knew the Kyubi no Kitsune was sealed inside him, it wasn't difficult to figure out where a voice in his head was coming from. Rhetorical or not though, the question went unanswered.

He looked over to the scroll of seals. Was that what the Kyubi meant? Mizuki had wanted the scroll because it was full of powerful jutsu. Something like that would be a big help now that he was cut off from, and even hunted by, the leaf. In fact, it might be the _only_ way for him to learn anymore jutsu. Wouldn't it be stealing though? And if he took it and they ever caught him... but then again, they would execute him anyway. But he would still be stealing from them, all of them, but hadn't all of them hurt and ignored him for his whole life? What did he owe to any of them? Jiji-san though. He would be stealing from Jiji-san too. But hadn't the great Hokage also been keeping secrets from him? Hadn't he also been lying to him? He had been the only one to be nice to Naruto but... No, that wasn't true. Mizuki had been nice to him. How did Naruto know that the Hokage wasn't just using him too? In fact, didn't that make more sense? Manipulating the powerful monster to always take his side?

Naruto had to make a choice, and he had to make it fast. He looked at the scroll, a source of great power that he could use to thrive in the ninja world. Then to the woods where he could make his escape, leaving the scroll behind and perhaps earning a form of leniency. Twice, three times his head swiveled between the two, and then he ran to the scroll and strapped it to his back.

The Kyubi had probably saved his life in more ways than one. Now that Naruto was shocked out of his mental breakdown he could strategize a bit. Before he left, he crossed his fingers into the Shadow-clone hand sign, and made as many as he could. There were probably hundreds of them, complete with shadow-cloned scroll of seals. They all started running in different directions. They would all branch out and none of them would go in a straight line for long. Even with the best tracker ninja in the world, and even with as many as Konoha had at its disposal, the chase would eventually boil down to sheer luck of the draw.

So he ran. He left Iruka's body behind and he ran. He left Jiji-san behind and ran. He left his dreams behind and he ran.

Naruto left Konohagakure behind. And he ran.

***THE NEXT DAY***

Sarutobi Hiruzen had lost much in his life. He had lost his parents long ago, and his beloved wife. He had lost two of his prized pupils, one to madness, the other to iniquity and despair. He had lost Minato, and so many other friends and allies. And now he was about to lose his place as Hokage.

"We should have killed him when we had the chance!" Yelled one of the council members. A slightly overweight merchant with oily black hair and a mustache. His face contorted in overt anger, but Hiruzen saw the covert terror in his eyes. He was afraid for the sake of the village, for his business and his daughter. Jubei Haruno was often called greedy, shallow and selfish, but Hiruzen knew there was love in his heart. Even though he had voted for Naruto's execution at birth, he had also given donations to the very orphanage that the boy lived, and even helped find him an apartment when it became apparent that the orphanage was unsafe. When asked, Jubei had said that if Naruto had to live, it was best if he had reason not to hate the village. Even so, his own family was more important to him than any other person in Konoha, especially the Jinchuriki.

He had also made Hiruzen promise that he would never let him betray the village. It was a promise he had made many times, to many different people. A promise that now seemed to be broken.

Haruno's outburst was met with approval from most, silence from a few. What could be said in the boy's defense now? In his heart, Hiruzen knew that Naruto would never betray the village. He also knew that the evidence against him was far too damning for the already biased villagers to give him another chance. They had hated him from his birth, and the Sandaime Hokage's attempts to protect him had only fanned the flames, and directed some of them toward himself. Ever since he had made his decree that no one speak of Naruto's condition on pain of death, Hiruzen had been accused of Tyranny and endangering the village youth. Some had even gone so far as to call it treason, in secret of course. There had long been a movement to remove him from his seat, which he had kept at bay with his reputation for victory and wisdom in all other matters. Today however, he feared that would not be nearly enough.

"Discussing what we should have done is a waste of time." Danzo suddenly stood up. "As we sit here reminiscing on past mistakes, the Jinchuriki runs ever farther away from us, likely ever closer to our enemies." Hirizen had to give Danzo credit for one thing, he was uniquely capable of silencing a room. He carried a certain quality about him, a kind of subtle intimidation, which instantly made everyone stop and listen carefully to what he had to say. No doubt it would serve him well.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen." The two old friends looked each other in the eyes, both showing unwavering strength on their faces and posture, and both knowing that the other was filled with sadness. "When confronted with the situation of having a new Jinchuriki, many asked for it to be killed, but you refused. I asked to take the boy in for personal training, but again you refused. You insisted that the Jinchuriki be treated as if he were an ordinary child, even going so far as to threaten the lives of Konoha civilians if they spoke of his condition. We of the council allowed this only because we trusted you when you promised the boy would never be a threat to us. Now that promise has broken. The Jinchuriki stole the scroll of sealing, from you very home. He has used the Kyubi's power to murder two Chunin, and fled the village. In short, the Kyubi Jinchuriki as betrayed us. You have utterly failed in you duty to protect Konoha and its people. Therefore, I Shimura Danzo, move to impeach Sarutobi Hiruzen from the position of Hokage. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The entire council it seemed, held its breath. This would be the first time anyone had ever actually tried to impeach a Hokage. That would be Hiruzen's legacy he ralized. The Saindaime closed his eyes and bowed his head. He had never expected to live up to the standards left by Hashirama or Tobirama, or even to match Minato, but with this he would officially become the worst Hokage the leaf had ever had. That did not however, mean that he had no pride left.

"It is a sad day when fear and hatred rule Konoha." He said with as much strength and authority as he had ever had. "When the strongest of the ninja villages prefers to hate a monster than to love a child. When we would prefer to run from a memory than to embrace the future. If Naruto has betrayed us, and I still have my doubts, then it is not because he was treated as a human, but because he wasn't. If he has betrayed us then it is because he was ostracized and abused by our people throughout his life, and it has bred hatred in his heart. Furthermore, _if_ he has betrayed us, then he is doubtlessly being manipulated by someone who has used that hatred against him, someone who knows of the scrolls power and has the ability to harness it, knowledge no academy student could possess. For that reason Danzo is right in one thing at least, we must act quickly." The Sandaime looked up, and into the eyes of each and every member of the council as he continued, fifty civilians, and fifty shinobi, each filled with wisdom and courage of their own.

"I admit that if I could do things over, I would do things differently. What's done, however, is done. As many mistakes as I have made I have always strived to do what was best for Konoha and its people, and if I am still Hokage tomorrow, I will _continue_ to do what I feel is best for Konoha and its people. I will do what I believe is right, and I can only ask you to do the same. Now vote."

"No one is questioning your motives Hiruzen." Danzo added quickly. "Only your willingness to do what needs to be done, when it is unkind."

"Take your seat Danzo-san." Mitokado Homura said sternly. "It is time to cast your votes, unless the Hokage would like to retort?" He said, turning to Hiruzen. Homura, along with Utatane Koharu, was one of the Sandaime's most trusted advisors, and closest friends. Danzo too, once had that honor, but his militant ideology had driven a wedge between them. Truthfully none of them wanted to see Hiruzen humiliated and dethroned, but they were all willing to see it happen. Even understanding their reasons, Hiruzen would find it difficult to forgive them.

"What more can be said?" He stated quietly. Homura nodded, and began the vote.

One by one, each of the council members had their names called and their votes recorded. It was a close call, with thirty, including the Hyuga, Yamanaka, and Aburame clan leaders abstaining entirely. Out of the remaining seventy however, only Akamichi Choja, Nara Shikaku, Inuzuka Tsume, and eleven others voted in Hiruzen's favor. With a vote of 56 in favor of impeachment, just over the mandatory fifty, and 14 against, the reign of the Sandaime Hokage came to a disgraceful end.

"The council has spoken." Koharu said. "Sarutobi Hiruzen. You are released from your duty." She would not look him in the eye as she spoke. As he stepped down from his seat and walked out of the hall, no one would look at him, even as he tried to look each of them firmly in the eye. He knew what would happen next. Under the circumstances a new Hokage would have to be appointed immediately. Jiraiya was an appropriate choice but he was not present, and would not be for several weeks. Furthermore, his stance on Naruto would likely be the same as Hiruzen's and that was unacceptable at the moment. There was only one man who could take his place now. Only one man had the power, experience, and militant mindset that were required.

Shimura Danzo.

" _Naruto."_ Hiruzen silently prayed as he walked toward the exit of the Hokage tower. _"I don't know why you ran, but run fast and run far."_

***THREE DAYS LATER***

Naruto woke up covered in pollen and morning dew, with one hand still clutching the scroll's strap. Apparently he had unfastened the other in his sleep, or perhaps just before passing out. He and his clones had ran for almost three days straight, stopping only once to drink from a brook he ran into. He had been exhausted after the first few hours of course, but every time he thought he had gone far enough, or that he was too tired to keep going, a clone would be captured. Each time they would be destroyed and he would regain a bit of their chakra, and their memories. That was all he needed to keep himself going. How many times had he looked up into the eyes of his captors; cold and merciless or burning with hatred? How many ties had they killed him without him ever seeing them? How many different ways had he died? When had he passed out? How long had he slept? Why was he still thinking about that instead of what to do next?

Naruto stood up and his stomach immediately rumbled with a loud growl, almost like a starving dog begging for scraps, or perhaps more like a wolf demanding them. He put a hand on his belly and gave it an irritated look. As if he needed a reminder that he hadn't eaten in three days. He was starving, and his throat felt like sandpaper. On top of that, all of his muscles were sore from running, and even his bones hurt from sleeping on the cold wet grass. He had no idea where to find food or water. He didn't even know where he was. He had been so focused on running that he hadn't paid any attention to where he was actually going, not that he knew anything about the world past the Konoha walls anyway. At least it was warm. If he had had to deal with the winter cold, he really wouldn't have stood a chance. But even summer breezes sent a chill through him when they blew on his dew soaked clothes.

The first thing Naruto did was tear his jacket off, and squeeze as much of the moisture into his mouth as he could manage. The stingy fabric didn't want to let go of it all, and it had terrible aim, but Naruto managed to get a good mouthful. It was salty from sweat, and there wasn't much of it, but it might save his life. Being more concerned with dehydration than modesty he stripped off his shirt and pants and did the same with them. He even considered wringing out his socks and underwear, but after serious consideration he decided he would never be quite that thirsty. His thirst wasn't nearly quenched, but it was bearable.

Next Naruto looked around and saw that he was in a clearing in a forest somewhere, probably still the fire country. He had slept on a bed of grass, but there were trees all around him, and no sign of a path anywhere. Faced with no other options besides waiting for death, Naruto strapped on the scroll, and started walking into the woods.

He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the cloudy sky. It would rain soon. He hoped it would come quickly, so he could get another drink out of his clothes. "So... what do I do now?" He wondered out loud. He was in a bad position and he knew it. He wasn't even a real ninja and he was being chased by the most powerful village in the world, with no one at his back. Then again, he had never had anyone at his back. A lump of bitterness swelled up in his throat, but he swallowed it away. It wouldn't help him.

Naruto had no intention of giving up. He may not have been able to pass the stupid graduation test, but he knew he was still an awesome ninja. Plus, now that he was outside of the village no one would know what he was. Maybe he could make a fresh start. On top of that, he had an awesome new jutsu now that could turn one Naruto into a thousand! A thousand of anybody would be able to do just about anything. Village or no village, he was a shinobi. It was his nature and he was going to make it happen. If he couldn't be a leaf ninja, then he would be a freelance ninja!

"Yeah. That's what I'll do." Naruto thought out loud with a smirk. "I'll be a freelance ninja, and I'll be better than any ninja from any village ever was!" The boy jumped up and threw his fist into the air, bearing a little pain for his efforts. The Fatigue had eased up a lot, but he still ached all over. Even so, there was no time to recover, not if he wanted to eat that night.

Fate must have finally decided to cut him a break, because at that moment Naruto saw the trees going thin up ahead, and his first potential client walking along what must have been a path. A man was riding in the seat of a horse-drawn covered cart. He was probably some kind of merchant making his way to a nearby town to do some trading, which meant he had a lot of money, and a lot of goods. That meant he was a big target for bandits, and that meant he would need some protection.

Naruto grinned and started running, or at least painfully jogging, through the trees. "Hey, merchant-san! Merchant-san!" He yelled as he got closer. The man turned toward him, but far from slowing down so they could talk, he fumbled for something in the seat behind him and then pulled out a katana. He jumped up, nearly fell off of his seat, turned around to stand on his seat, nearly fell off again, and finally found his balance by putting one foot on the lip of his cart behind the seat. It was all rather comedic when combined with his dark blue kimono fluttering with each fumble. Naruto nearly fell over himself with laughter. He realized too late that a dirty boy running through the trees on a secluded road looked less like a heroic protector, and more like a villainous bandit. Oh well.

"What do you want brat?" The man spat while holding the sword out toward him in what he probably thought was a menacing way. Truthfully with the way he held it straight out with both hands, both elbows fully extended, and his back arched, the only way Naruto could imagine the sword cutting him was if he ran into it of his own accord. The freelance-ninja stopped, stared for exactly two seconds, and then doubled over from the effort of keeping his laughter in. It probably wasn't winning him any favors with his future client, but it was just too funny. Eventually though he managed to stand up, and realized that he cart had not stopped, and the merchant was not threatening him with an awkward stance and an angry expression.

"I want to offer you some protection merchant-san!" Naruto yelled as he rushed to catch up again. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, freelance ninja extraordinaire! There's all kinds of dangerous stuff out here for a guy like you, and for a small fee I can~"

"Forget it!" the merchant cut Naruto off with a bark. "Freelance ninja? A filthy, stinking little runt like you? You think I'd buy something that stupid? And where did you get that scroll on your back huh? Is that supposed to be your weapon? You look more like a thief than a bodyguard to me. Besides..." the merchant pulled the katana back behind his ear into a stance Naruto had seen samurai use in a lot of picture books. It might have even been a little intimidating if his knees hadn't started shaking from trying to keep his balance. "This is all the protection I need."

"You really think a bandit's gonna be intimidated by that?" Naruto said with a deadpan expression. The result was in an angry frown from his increasingly unlikely future client. Naruto grinned again and jabbed his thumb into his chest. "I'm a real ninja dattebayo! Hire me, and nobody'll~"

"You deaf brat, I said get lost! Unless you want me to use this sword on you!" the merchant yelled again and turned around to grab the reigns. Apparently deciding that Naruto was more of an annoyance than a threat, he put the sword down and snapped the reigns, causing the horse to go faster and leave Naruto behind to growl to himself.

"WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK ABOUT IT!" He crossed his arms and frowned at the river. "I hope someone really does rob him."

Naruto tensed up as a thought struck. He could rob him. There was nobody around, probably for miles. That guy was no ninja. Even as weak as Naruto was at the moment, half staved and dehydrated, with a few clones he could take the guy easily. His stomach growled, as if asking him to do it. But it was wrong, wasn't it? He would be stealing from the guy, robbing him like some bandit. Not like a hero. More like a monster. But he was a monster wasn't he? Everyone hated him because he was a monster. He was always alone because he was a monster. He had killed Mizuki because he was a monster. He was a monster, and he was a hungry monster.

A horrible, terrifying feeling of excitement gripped Naruto's heart as he crossed his shaking fingers into the hand-sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He didn't have to kill the guy. He didn't even have to hurt him. All he had to do was hold him down and find some food, then he would run. That was it. That wasn't so bad was it? Every single person in the world up to that point had lied to and abused him. Compared to that, this would be nothing. Wasn't it time he got something back for once?

"Shadow-clone jutsu!" twelve Narutos charged at the carriage. It still hurt to run that fast, but the hunger and adrenaline made it almost easy. The merchant turned around when Naruto yelled, and jumped back into his comedic fighting stance when he saw the one-boy gang running toward him. When the first clone jumped on the back of the cart and charged him the merchant pulled back for a swing and nearly fell off on his own before the clone even got a chance to tackle him. The next thing he knew he was on the ground with a twelve year old blonde holding down every inch of his body; his wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, feet, head, he couldn't move anything and he could barely even breathe.

"G-ge-et... oooffff." He choked out, but not one of the clones listened. Those that weren't holding him down were pilfering through his cart as the horse marched on, seemingly uncaring of its master's plight. Each clone would find something, a bag of rice or a box of water jars, and then run off into the woods. All the merchant could do was cuss as his merchandise was stolen. The real Naruto was the last to go, carrying the jackpot, a huge box of instant ramen cups. He left the clones behind until he had gotten deep enough into the woods that he didn't think he could be followed, at least not by that loser merchant, and then released the jutsu and looked over his prizes.

He had enough food to eat for at least a couple of days, and a pretty balanced diet at that. He had Rice, salted meats, dried fruits and canned vegetables, and of course his glorious instant ramen. He beamed and rubbed his hands together as he stared at the virtual feast in front of him, but his smile slowly fell as he remembered how he had gotten it. Now that the adrenaline died down, the guilt set in. He wanted to be a hero, not a thief. Not a monster. He had only done it because he was hungry, and that guy really was a jerk. But even as he tore the lid off of a jar of water and started guzzling it down, part of him wondered if he had just made a terrible mistake.

"You've made a terrible mistake you know."

Naruto spit out a mouthful of water, and spun around looking for the source of the voice. He had been sure no one was out here. "Who's there!?" Was it the merchant? No, even if that loser could have caught up with him the voice was much too deep, and for that matter the tone was wrong too. It didn't sound angry, more... condescending. The voice did not answer his question.

"That merchant knows your name and your face now, Uzumaki Naruto. He can cause serious problems for you. Robbing him and letting him live was a terrible mistake, kukuku." Naruto couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from, or rather, it didn't seem to stay in one place long enough for him to find the owner.

"I-I'm not a killer! I'm just hungry!" The voice chuckled again. Whoever it was, he didn't seem to think much of Naruto. That pissed him off.

"Of course boy, but didn't you realize how little he cares? He will not reward your mercy. He will make sure that wherever you go there are wanted posters calling for your arrest. Or worse." Naruto caught a patch of white in the corner of his eye and spun around. What he saw there made him stumble backwards and nearly fall on his butt. The man in front of him had to be some sort of Oni, no human could have skin that white, or yellow eyes with slanted pupils like a snake, or wear a thick purple rope around their waist. The long black hair could probably be found on a human, but it fit more with a demon. "And then, Konoha will hear about it." The Oni crooned.

Naruto's eyes shot wide open at that. How could he be so stupid!? Konoha was after him and he had just thrown his name out there, and hadn't even thought about trying to change his appearance! Not that there was much he could do about that. Perhaps more importantly though, how did this... Man? Thing? Know who he was.

"Yes Naruto, I know who you are. The leaf's Jinchuriki, their prized weapon who they abused and betrayed, until he finally ran away with their most prized scroll. But you know you can't escape them on your own, don't you?" As he spoke the demon reached down and plucked a dried apricot from its box. "You don't mind sharing your ill-gotten gains, do you?." He asked before wrapping an unnaturally long tongue around it and pulling it down his throat.

Naruto just stared in disgust, and a bit of awe. This was just too weird. He was Uzumaki Naruto however and it didn't take him long to regain his composure. He pointed at the monster and yelled "Alright I've had about enough of this! Who the heck are you, how the heck do you know me, and what the heck do you want!?" The demon actually looked a bit surprised at his outburst. Apparently he was very used to intimidating people, and not very used to being stood up to. It was only a second however before he was smiling and laughing again.

"How courageous. Very well. My name is... Orochimaru. I am a Nukenin, just as you are now. I know about you because I have a very extensive, very effective, spy network. And I am the leader of Otogakure, a village I founded for people trying to escape this corrupt ninja world. People like me. People like you."

Naruto's eyes went wide at that, and his angry frown shriveled up into a thin O. "A place for... people like me?" What did that mean?

"Yesss." Hissed Orochimaru with a smile. "A place where you can be safe. Where you can grow strong and accomplish your dreams. Otogakure you be your home, and your family." Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Family? What did he even mean by that? "I can also give you great power. That scroll on your back holds many powerful secrets, but you'll never be able to harness them all on your own. I can, and I can teach you. This is what I offer, and all I ask in return, is your loyalty and obedience." Orochimaru turned around and started walking away. "Follow me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto watched him walk away. Could it be true? Could it possibly be real? A place where he could belong? Naruto asked himself if he really trusted Orochimaru. He had been betrayed by everyone else, everyone except Iruka, who had died for helping him. Why would he trust this... monster of a man?

Maybe that was exactly the reason. Truthfully Naruto didn't know why he was stepping forward, but maybe it was specifically _because_ Orochimaru was a monster. Maybe it was because Naruto was a monster, and he felt a sense of kinship with this other monster. Maybe it was just that he had nothing to lose. He made some more shadow clones to gather his loot, no reason to leave it behind, and followed his new master.

***TAKIGAKURE. SOME TIME LATER***

In a secret cave in the base of a great tree, two leaders, each flanked by five of their most powerful warriors, met in secret from the world and even their own people. It was unusual for a Kage to meet anyone in a cave, or outside of their own office for that matter. For the godaime Hokage however, the dark musty cave felt more at home than the bright comfortable office ever would. Besides that, Danzo appreciated Shibuki's paranoia. Even if he had not, what Danzo was about to gain would be well worth the ache in his old bones. Shibuki, for his part, simply could not ignore the warning the new hokage had given him. Even if he was not willing to allow the old man into his village, the risk of Iwagakure attacking was far to great to simply be ignored. Takigakure was about to need powerful allies.

"Hokage-sama" Shibuki greeted Danzo with a polite bow, which he returned. "Shibuki-sama, thank you for meeting me. I will be direct. As my messenger has told you, we have reason to believe Iwa has plans to invade your village, steal the hero's water, and use it to wipe out Konoha. In order to stop this, and strengthen the ties between our villages, I propose that we station thirty of our strongest Jonin, defensive experts, in Takigakure. In return, I would like to take your Jinchuriki as well as a handful of Genin, back to Konoha, to build trust between our people."

It was a ridiculous proposal of course. One that Shibuki would never have accepted. Except that he would. In fact he would remember it as being too good to pass up, giving Taki's children a chance at better training and experiencing more of the world, giving Fuu a better chance to make friends, and getting powerful Jonin to protect his village. He would never consider that the children might be inducted into an organization like ROOT and turned into spies, or that the Jonin could become an invading force that turned Takigakure into a puppet state. Those thoughts would never quite make it across his mind. That was the power of Kotoamatsukami.

" _Takigakure fresh recruits for ROOT, and a new Jinchuriki."_ Danzo mused silently. _"Thank you for these gifts, Shisui._

Author's notes

Whassup peoples! The first chapter of my first fanfiction is finally ready to go up. First of all constructive criticism is more than welcome. I fully intend to this fic to reach epic length, probably even justifying two parts. It will be Naruto-centric, but not exclusively. Other characters will be getting screentime (for lack of a better word) and character development.

A few things I'm NOT going to do. No bashing, at least not by my definition. The Hiruzen impeachment scene should have made this fairly obvious, but basically I'm not going to just uber-exagerate anyone's negative characteristics. That has its own appeal, I admit I've enjoyed several bashing fanfics, but its not my thing. On a similar note, Orochimaru is NOT going to be a good guy just because he's teaching Naruto. He is the personification of evil, and thus he shall remain. Again, I've read some stories where this was done well, but not here. By the same principle, Jiraiya is not going to flip sides just to teach Naruto, so him signing the toad contract and learning the rasengan is probably not going to happen. There will be no god-moding. Naruto will end up at least as strong as in the anime, but he's not going to walk into the chunin exams with the rinnegan or anything like that. Lastly, on the subject of pairings, I will not be doing yaoi, yuri, incest, a harem, or significant age differences (let's say 10 years hard cap, five years is pushing it.) Also, no lemons. Period.

While I have figured out a pretty solid plot, there is still a lot that I'm still working on and I am more than willing to listen to suggestions. Specifically, I'm still trying to figure out pairings and jutsu for Naruto to replace what Jiraiya would have taught him. I have ideas, but I'm looking for more. I don't think I'm going to give him snake summons. It's been done a lot, and I just don't think it fits in my story. Also, I don't intend to do NaruHina. It's not that I don't like the pairing, it's just that it's been done SO MUCH and I want to do something more original. Also, even if she does love Naruto, I don't see Hinata betraying her family and her village for him.

Lastly, I'm not making any promises on when new chapters will be up. I am in college, and while I expect to post fairly consistently, life happens.

Ok, well that was longer than I meant it to be. What can I say? It's my first time. Anyway, thanks for reading my story. Please leave a review and suggestions if you have any, and stay tuned for the next chapter.


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